Heating apparatus using liquid fuel

ABSTRACT

A heating apparatus using liquid fuel, of the kind comprising a frame, a source of fuel such as a reservoir, a pump or a fuel intake, and a combustion chamber supplied with fuel through the intermediary of a constant-level tank, in which the source and the tank conjointly form a supply unit removably mounted in the frame, separable coupling means being provided between the supply unit and at least one pipe mounted on the said frame. The modified apparatus lends itself very rapidly to a standard replacement.

Wnite 1 .1 St t Camps atent 1 [54] HEATING APPARATUS USING LIQUID FUEL[76] Inventor: Jean-Jacques Camps, 51 Marcilly- [30] Foreign ApplicationPriority Data Feb. 17, 1970 France ..7005533 52 US. Cl ..431/154 [51]Int. Cl ..F23d 11/36 [58] Field of Search ..431/153,154,155, 344

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,056,703 10/1936 Gifford..43l/1S3 2,517,258 8/1950 Towner ..431/155 1 Apr..3,1973

2,247,859 7/1941 Purtell v.431/155 X 1,741,553 12/1929 Breese ..431/l55X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 685,615 1/1953 Great Britain ..43l/l53 Primary Examiner-Edward G. Favors Attorney-Y0ung 8: Thompson 57]ABSTRACT 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures HEATING APPARATUS USING LIQUID FUELThe present invention relates to heating apparatus using liquid fuel,commonly known as fuel-oil heaters.

Such heating apparatus generally comprise a fuel reservoir supplying acombustion chamber through the intermediary of a constant-level tank.The constantlevel tank limits the delivery flow-rate of fuel to thecombustion chamber which is equipped with a burner which is mostfrequently a gasification type burner.

Heating apparatus of this type gives satisfaction for the most part, butit is sometimes subject to operational defects which affect its heatefficiency and even result in breakdown.

Experience has shown that the majority of these incidents of operationor breakdowns are due to the presence of foreign substances whichcontaminate the fuel employed. These substances are most frequentlywater, sludges or other such impurities.

These impurities are gradually deposited in the reservoir, and when theyreacha certain level, they are carried away into the constant-leveltank, the flow-regulation capacity of the constant-level tank is therebydistrupted.

Services of a specialist then become necessary.

Such specialists frequently encounter numerous difficulties in obtainingaccess to the reservoir and to the constant-level tank, which aregenerally fixed rigidly to the frame of the heating apparatus and areprotected by a casing fixed to this frame.

These difficulties are increased if it becomes further necessary tocompletely clean the fuel supply systems.

In particular, if it is necessary to drain the reservoir so as toeliminate completely the water therefrom, the whole of the heatingapparatus must be sent back to the factory for putting into order, sincesuch an operation cannot be conveniently carried out on site, where theheating apparatus is installed.

Furthermore, in most favorable circumstances, this operationnecessitatesseveral hours work.

An aim of the present invention is a heating apparatus using liquidfuel, which isfree of such disadvantages.

The heating apparatusutilizing liquid fuel according to the invention isof the kind comprising a frame, a combustion chamber fixedly mounted onthe frame, a pipe mounted on the frame for supplying the combustionchamber with liquid fuel, a fuel supply unit removably mounted on thesaid frame and comprising a fuel reservoir and a constant-level tank,and coupling means for detachably interconnecting said unit and saidpipe, said coupling means comprising a first complementary connectingportion fixedly mounted relative to and in communication with theconstant-level tank and a second complementary connecting portionfixedly mounted on the frame in communication with the pipe, saidcoupling means being so positioned as automatically to bring .the fuelsupply unit into operative connection with the pipe when the said unitis placed in position on the frame.

Thus, in the case of any operating difficultry, it is simply necessaryto remove the supply unit for an examination and, if necessary put itback in working order.

If necessary, it is also'possible to effect a standard replacement ofthis supply unit.

The replacement does not necessitate any special tools and may becarried out very rapidly, with sufficient rapidity to avoid the stoppingof the heating apparatus.

If the supply unit once removed from this heating apparatus cannot beput into working order on site, it is sent back to the factory forchecking, cleaning and adjustment, while the heating apparatus continuesto work with the new supply unit, clean and correctly regulated.

The trouble caused to a user by this action is therefore a minimum.

The characteristic features and advantages of the invention will furtherbe brought out in the description which follows below, given by way ofexample, reference being made to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings,in which: 7

FIG. I is a view in elevation, with parts broken away, of a heatingapparatus according to the invention, in working order;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 during the course of the replacementwith a standard supply unit for this heating apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a partial view in perspective of this supply unit;

FIG. 4 is a partial view in cross-section of the heating apparatusaccording to the invention, taken along the line IVIV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partial view in elevation showing a detail of FIG. 1 to alarger scale and with parts broken away.

In the embodiment chosen and illustrated in these drawings, a heatingapparatus comprising a frame 10 forms a parallelepipedstructure. On thisframe 10 is fixed laterally a casing 11 and an access grating 12 ishinged at the upper part of frame 10.

A known heating apparatus of this kind comprises, in the frame 10, aliquid fuel reservoir 13, a constant-level tank 15 coupled to thereservoir 13 by a pipe 16, and a combustion chamber 17 supplied withfuel by the constant-level tank 15 through the intermediary of a pipe18.

In the present apparatus, the reservoir 13 and the constant-level tank15 are fixed on a support plate 19 and form therewith a supply unit 20removably mounted on the frame 10.

The frame 10 is therefore provided for that purpose with two rigidlyfixed slides 21 which extend along the height of the heating apparatus,parallel to the combustion chamber 17, and are held at a distance fromthe combustion chamber 17 by cross'members 22, of

which only one is shown in the drawings. A free ventilation zone 23 isthus formed between these slides 21 and the combustion chamber 17.

The slides 21 are connected together by a partition 25 on their sidenearest the combustion chamber 17.

The support plate 19 of the supply unit 20 also forms a partition and isprovided with lateral flanges 26 adapted cooperate with the slides 21.The support plate 19 can thus be fitted into the volume delimited by theslides 21, as indicated in chain-dotted lines in FIG. 4. When inposition in the slides 21, the plate 19 in combination with thepartition 25 which joins the slides together forms a double wall andrests on an abutment 27 carried by the partition 25.

At the upper end of the support plate 19 an opening 28 is provided whichforms a lifting handle.

The reservoir 13 is fixed to the support plate 19 by means of brackets29 which hold it at a distance from the plate 19. Similarly, theconstant-level tank 15 is fixed on the plate 19 by means of a bracket 30which holds it at a distance from the plate 19, and to which it is fixedby legs 31.

It is not necessary to go into any detail in respect of such aconstant-level tank. It is simply necessary to say that it is providedinternally with a float 32 which maintains a constant level 33 in thetank by acting for that purpose on the discharge of the conduit 16 intothe said tank.

The tank 15 is further provided with a coupling sleeve -35 passingthrough the bottom thereof and which is capable of being supplied withfuel under the control of a valve member 36. The member 36 is operatedby a rod 37 coupled to an actuating knob 38 disposed at the top of thereservoir 13.

The frame carries a fixed nozzle 40 which is connected to the supplypipe 18 for the combustion chamber 17 and is complementary to thecoupling sleeve 35 of the tank 15. This nozzle 40 is arranged verticallybelow the coupling sleeve 35.

It is therefore merely necessary to position the tank on the nozzle 40to ensure the communication of this tank with the combustion chamber 17,the fluidtightness of this assembly being ensured by annular or toroidseats 42 which, in the present example are carried by the nozzle 40.

In the event of a fault in operation of the heating device, it is simplynecessary to close the valve member 36 by actuating the operating knob38, to removing the supply unit 20, and if necessary, installing in itsplace a new supply unit by the engagement of the coupling sleeve 33 ofthe tank 15 of the new unit on the fixed nozzle 40 carried by the frame10 and the supporting of this unit on the abutment 27.

This new supply unit is from that time ready to be put into operation byactuation of its control knob 38.

The standard supply unit replacement thus effected can be carried outfairly rapidly so that the combustion chamber 17 remains supplied by thevolume of fuel contained only in the pipe 18.

In case such a standard replacement is not essential, especially wherethe defective supply unit can easily be put into working order on site,it will be appreciated that its removal from the frame 10 facilitatesits examination and repair, and that this removal and the subsequentreplacement in position are effected very quickly.

It will also be appreciated that in service the reservoir 13 and theconstant-level tank 15 of the supply unit are separated from thecombustion chamber 17, successively by a first ventilation space betweenthis reservoir and the tank on the one hand and the supporting plate 19on the other, a second ventilation spaced formed between the double wallformed by the plate 19 and the partition 25 which couples together theslides 21, and finally the ventilation space 23 arranged between thispartition 25 and the combustion chamber 17.

The present invention is not limited to the form of embodiment describedand shown, but includes any alternative form of construction.

In particular, the separable coupling means provided between the tank 15and the pipe 18, comprising a sleeve 35 carried by the tank 15 and afixed nozzle 40 carried by the frame and coupled to the pipe 18, may bereplaced by any other appropriate separable coupling means, inparticular a nozzle carried by the tank and a fixed complementary sleevecarried by the frame and connected to the pipe 18.

In the example of construction described above, the supply unitcomprises an individual reservoir which serves as a fuel source.

The reservoir may be replaced by a pump coupled to an external fuelreservoir intake. This may be the case in certain installations in whichvarious individual heating apparatus are supplied by a common reservoir.

In the case for example in which the reservoir 13 is replaced by a pump,separable coupling means of the same type as those described above forthe constantlevel tank are provided in addition between this pump and apipe fixed to the frame and connected to the external fuel reservoir.

What l claim is:

l. A heating apparatus using liquid fuel comprising a frame, acombustion chamber fixedly mounted on the frame, a pipe mounted on theframe for supplying the combustion chamber with liquid fuel, a fuelsupply unit removably mounted on the said frame and comprising a fuelreservoir and a constant-level tank, and coupling means for detachablyinterconnecting said unit and said pipe, said coupling means comprisinga first complementary connecting portion fixedly mounted relative to andin communication with the constant-level tank and a second complementaryconnecting portion fixedly mounted on the frame in communication withthe pipe, said coupling means being so positioned as automatically tobring the fuel supply unit into operative connection with the pipe whenthe said unit is placed in position on the frame, said firstcomplementary connecting portion of said coupling means comprising acoupling sleeve and the second complementary connecting portioncomprising a fixed nozzle, the coupling sleeve being adapted to befitted directly on the nozzle.

2. A heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle-sleevecombination has a fluidtight seal.

3. A heating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said supply unitfurther comprises a support plate on which said reservoir and said tankare fixed, said support plate being slidably mounted in slides rigidlyfixed on said frame.

4. A heating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the slides arespaced from the combustion chamber so that a ventilation space is formedbetween said combustion chamber and said supply unit.

5. A heating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the support plateforms a partition having lateral edges cooperating with the slides, andwherein said slides are connected to each other by a partition alongtheir sides remote from the supply unit, so that the combustion chamberis separated from the supply unit by a double wall when the supply unitis in position on the frame.

6. A heating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said reservoir andsaid tank are fixed to the support plate of said supply unit by bracketswhich hold them at a distance from the said plate.

7. A heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said supply unithas a lifting handle.

8. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said supplyunit has a lifting handle comprising an opening formed in said supportplate.

1. A heating apparatus using liquid fuel comprising a frame, acombustion chamber fixedly mounted on the frame, a pipe mounted on theframe for supplying the combustion chamber with liquid fuel, a fuelsupply unit removably mounted on the said frame and comprising a fuelreservoir and a constant-level tank, and coupling means for detachablyinterconnecting said unit and said pipe, said coupling means comprisinga first complementary connecting portion fixedly mounted relative to andin communication with the constant-level tank and a second complementaryconnecting portion fixedly mounted on the frame in communication withthe pipe, said coupling means being so positioned as automatically tobring the fuel supply unit into operative connection with the pipe whenthe said unit is placed in position on the frame, said firstcomplementary connecting portion of said coupling means comprising acoupling sleeve and the second complementary connecting portioncomprising a fixed nozzle, the coupling sleeve being adapted to befitted directly on the nozzle.
 2. A heating apparatus according to claim1, wherein the nozzle-sleeve combination has a fluidtight seal.
 3. Aheating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said supply unit furthercomprises a support plate on which said reservoir and said tank arefixed, said support plate being slidably mounted in slides rigidly fixedon said frame.
 4. A heating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein theslides are spaced from the combustion chamber so that a ventilationspace is formed between said combustion chamber and said supply unit. 5.A heating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the support plateforms a partition having lateral edges cooperating with the slides, andwherein said slides are connected to each other by a partition alongtheir sides remote from the supply unit, so that the combustion chamberis separated from the supply unit by a double wall when the supply unitis in position on the frame.
 6. A heating apparatus according to claim3, wherein said reservoir and said tank are fixed to the support plateof said supply unit by brackets which hold them at a distance from thesaid plate.
 7. A heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein saidsupply unit has a lifting handle.
 8. A heating apparatus in accordancewith claim 3, wherein said supply unit has a lifting handle comprisingan opening formed in said support plate.